Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-08

replied, hastily. ''The darkest you have,
| please"
/ took the flowers, but somehow the
| pale, pretty face and the sad expression
affected me deeply. ! motioned to cab
and drove home. ''Why am l a chem
ist," / said to myself, triumphantly, IF
can't overcome such difficulty as this?"
I locked myself in my little laboratory,
which / had hardly entered since my in
fatuation with Eveline, and worked about
two hours on one Of the roses with iron,
powdered birthstone and charcoal dust. /
almost smothered myself by inhaling the
dust and odor of the ingredients; but tri-
unph! the rose became black-deep velvet
black.
waited until almost time to go after
Eveline, and then prepared the other rose,
with greater success than before, for it
was more beautifully and perfectly black
than the first.
l got a carriage and drove to Eveline's
home. Ibid you get it?'' she said, in
great suspense and excitement, running
to me. | nodded and held out the pack
age to her. She threw her arms around
me and kissed me, pressed both my hands
and looked me in the eyes-she knew well
how to show her appreciation; she ad-
mired the rose her eyes beamed with de-
light and her cheeks cOlored beautifully.
For an instant was almost jealous, for it
did seem like she appreciated the rose
more than she did me, and l could not re-
member that she had ever blushed with
delight at seeing me; but she was SO re-
Spectful TO me, and this time almost affec-
tlonate, | was more infatuated with her
than ever. We went to the ball. of
course, with her mother as chaperon. l
had provided commodious carriage
Her mother and | sat with our backs to
the horses, giving Eveline all of the back
seat so as not to rumple the elegant party
costume she wore. She created a furore
she was always the queen of the ball
rOOm-but On this occasion more
SO than ever. Her old gold bodice was
beautifully embroidered with founceS,
and the black rose nesting among her
golden tresses, attracted the attention of
every one. ] did not myself escape being
mentioned, as il was known that / had
procured the strange flower that many
had never seen before. With what queen
" grace she carried herself She was at
home in the bail room; was greatly adj
mired and sought after by every culti-
waited gentleman. With her pleasant smile
to this one, her bow to that one, her pretty
rounded arms, her queenly head, i'll sit
ting, standing, WaltZing or dancing, she
was model Of perfection. She was con-
stantly the center Of an admiring group OF
old and young, and was beseiged by dane
ers Every one who met her was fayOrably
impressed with her But of all her friends
and admirers she seemed to appreciate me
the most. l decided to know my fate that
very night. felt that my happiness de-
pended on my being able to call that ire
sistible essence of womanly loneliness my
wife.
The first dance was ended; the signal
from the cornet in the orchestra an
nounced the next dance. / approached
her to secure the waltz she had promised
me, when-oh, horror! what did / see!
The rose had completely changed color;
no longer shining black, but faded yellow
ish green, spotted with rusty edges to the
leaves. II must have been caused by the
preparation in the hair, the nitrogen, the
heated atmosphere or the gas. What if
Eveline should notice it and discover the
cheat? What would she do? What would
she think of me? For moment | was SO
excited and astonished that / could hardly
control my voice to speak to her. | did
not have much time for speculation.
Large plate glass mirrors with narrow git
frames covered the walls of the salon.
She glanced in the mirror opposite where
we stood, ready for the waltz, with her
arm resting quietly in mine. Suddenly
she drew her arm away and approached
tne glass. | could see her face in the mir
ror distinctly. She turned very pale; her
eyes became fixed with establishment and
chagrin; she trembled from head to foot.
With a powerful and angry movement,
that / had never thought possible for her
delicate white hand, she tore the rose
from her hair and rs quick as lightning
had ground it into powder beneath her
feet. Her figure became suddenly angu-
lar, her shoulders high and pointed, and
her face had the expression OF a fury.
l had never in my life seen such re-
vengeful, ugly and malignant FACET re-
vealed TO me q cold, heartless woman Of
the world, whose only aim in life was to
crafty her measurelesS vanity and CO.
query How was it possible for human
being to change so completely in an in
stant-she was absolutely hideous. All
the fears that | had entertained that |
might not win her, were gone; ] was
struck with amazement at the discovery
had made. Then | saw that she was at
tempting to resume her usual dispassion-
ate expression; but she was unsuccessful,
for she could not conceal all her anger. A
dry smile played around her
mouth.
You deceived me-" she said, turning
70 me with poorly affected calmness, bat
the tone of her voice betrayed an indie
scri1able suppressed vehemence. The
words came from her lips almost Kissing
ly; and in her eyes lay world of cold, de
liberate hatred. The rose was colored,n
she continued; why did you make Il dupe
of me? Ii any one had noticed it |
could never have forgiven YOU"
She drew her hand languidly across }
her forehead, and signi1icd her readi- /
ness to dance. l had seen her mother, |
however, in the mirror, who had taken a
scat on the opposite side of the ballroom,
and had evidently noticed that something
was wrong, give her a warning glance of /
Eveline had suddenly become /
to me, more detestable and .
pcrverse than | had ever thought any 4
could be. | was permanently .
cured of my infatuation. l felt that | (
could not stand to he with her any longer; (
40, not another moment. / could have /
valtzed with n snake with quite as much .
pleasure as with any quondam model OF .
perfection. / realized that / had been in
he power, the very slave, of a heartless,
eelinglesS cOquette. / aroused myself
rom The flood OF painful sensations that
lad come over me; but instead of Offering
ny arm for the waltz l led her to her
mother and excused myself, leaving her
with eager applicants for the
lance.
\ moment later | stood alone outside
# the building and breathed freely the
resh night air. 1t was very quiet there;
r -. - ~, -. lu,